Almost Dead (Zombies, Curses, etc.)

Sydney leaned on her twin. It seemed the smoke in her dream had turned her legs to jelly.
"I still don't understand how you fell asleep so quickly. She wasn't that boring!" Audrey complained, rather moody after having her Halloween night ruined.
"Maybe my blood pressure was low. I haven't eaten since this morning." Sydney lied. She didn't want to mention the nightmare, because she knew doing so would just have Audrey bugging her for the rest of the evening about it.
"...Maybe. Look, you're riding in the front seat. I think you're getting sick, and it would make me feel terribly guilty if my only sister died in the trunk of my car. Not only would I have a hard time getting the police to believe I didn't murder you, but it would be twice as hard to clean out my trunk then it would be to clean up my front seat if you puke."
"Gee, thanks." Sydney's voice dripped with sarcasm.
As they approached the car, Audrey had a strange feeling that they were being watched. She quickly shrugged it off.
"Happy Halloween." Sydney mumbled as Audrey helped her into the car.
"Likewise."

Sydney leaned against the car window, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. She watched the scenery fly by as Audrey sped down the dirt road. She would have fallen asleep if she hadn't seen such a shocking image in the middle of a familiar field.
"STOP!" Sydney shrieked, grabbing the dashboard and bracing herself as Audrey slammed on the brakes.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Audrey turned towards Sydney, glaring daggars.
"Look!" Sydney cried, pointing out the window.
"Where?"
"THERE!"
Before Audrey could further question her insane twin, Sydney opened the car door and ran outside into a nearby field. That action demonstrated surprising energy for someone who looked like she was about to hurl all over the car five seconds before.
Audrey sighed, exasperated. Pulling her vehicle off the road so an accident wouldn't occur while she was away, she killed the ignition and rushed after Sydney.

They both sat together in the tall grass, staring up at the dead oak tree. It looked like a bolt of lightning had struck it right down the middle. Audrey could smell the smoke on the bark still, as if it had only happened recently. Strange, though...considering that they'd been having a drought for quite some time. But what else could have done it?
"Do you remember what dad used to tell us about this tree?" Sydney asked, laying down in the grass. The wind was beginning to pick up, and made Sydney's hair look like curls of flame spiraling over the ground and licking at the earth without spreading.
"Yeah...I do. Somewhat. Remind me."
"She was burned at the stake for being a witch, but before the fire could even touch her ankles...a raging storm extinguished the flames...rather than take it as a sign, the townspeople untied her and instead decided to bring her to this old oak tree...they hung her, making sure she was dead."
Audrey shivered. "Wonderful story to tell your daughters."
"Funny, that was the last time we were together before..."
"I know. Look, this is fun and all...but Sydney, we can't stay out here all night." As Audrey said this, she stared up at the tree. It was so old. Justice Prat was their ancestor, and just about the only interesting thing that had ever happened to their family.
"How long ago do you think it happened? The lightning bolt?" Audrey asked, reaching towards the ancient bark of the tree and fingering the burn marks.
"Sydney? I said how long ago-" Audrey turned around, meeting the eyes of a man. He was craned over Sydney's unconscious frame, with a bottle of chloroform in one hand, and a dirty rag in the other.
"Shhhh...." He hushed Audrey, putting the cloth on her mouth. She didn't know who he was...because he wore a ski mask. But she knew what he was...
"Horse..." She rasped, as he folded a hand behind her head to force her down. She struggled for a moment, but eventually was still.

"This will be the one..." He said to himself, raising his ax. It was over in one swing. And as he drug the blonde back to her car, he whistled a tune to himself.
He placed her body in the passenger side, folding her lifeless arms over her own head.
The living one was in the back seat, bound and gagged...if she happened to wake up before he left. She was the first one he'd noticed, but he'd already had a redhead. The blonde was the next one on his list, no matter how much his fingers itched to swing again. There was only room for one more, and he'd killed her. The red-head would just have to die in a different way. He licked his lips and grinned, sliding into the driver's seat. He knew just where to put the bodies...

She heard it from a distance, a man's laughter. A car engine...and a loud splash. But she couldn't open her eyes, couldn't move. It was so dark...and she was so cold...
How long had she been out? She didn't know. She remembered the taste of vanilla, and someone embracing her...then darkness.
It was worth one more try, just one more...
Sydney's eyes popped open. As she did so, water rose towards her feet. She tried to work her jaw, but there was something thick and dry in it...a rag. She wiggled about, struggling against the ropes binding her hands and feet. She was running out of time. Now shat she got a good look at her surroundings, she realized she was in Audrey's car...and it was quickly getting dark....but the water? Where was the water coming from? Where was her sister?
Sydney spat the rag out and cried to Audrey.
"AUDREY! WHERE ARE YOU?!" She received no answer...and as the water rose to her waist, she saw something that made her heart sink to her stomach...Audrey's head bobbing in the water, eyes open and glassy like a doll's.
Sydney's heart hammered in her chest, she was running out of time. Audrey was....gone....andSydney herselfwas about to drown. As the water rose to Syndey's neck, she let out one final sob...it was all over...

A snake of black liquid seeped from Sydney's mouth...she was dead.
The substance did not float and dissipate into the water around it, as it should have...but instead, split into two black snakes. One of them fled back into Sydney's mouth, and the other slithered towards Audrey's head.

It had finally begun....